BRODHEAD - J.J. Panoske overcame a bum ankle to score 31 points and register nine blocks, leading the Cardinals to a 64-52 win over Monticello Monday.
"(My ankle) felt a lot better than I expected it. Our trainer said I shouldn't have played tonight because with the (holiday) break I would be ready for the rest of the season," said Panoske, a 6-feet, 9-inch center who is getting looks from nearly a dozen Division I college programs. "We had a slow start. (Monticello) is probably the quickest team we will face all year. I had to sit for five days, then to run with them - I was dead right away."
Monticello boasts a guard-heavy roster that can run the floor, drive the lane and shoot the 3-pointer.
"We're primarily a team that is going to play man (defense) and we do not match up well with them. They're giving up height and we're giving up speed," Cardinals head coach Brian Kammerer said. "Monticello is a great ball team and we knew we were going to have our work cut out for us. Our advantage was having 6-9 (Panoske) in there."
The bulk of Panoske's scoring came in the first and final quarters, when he notched eight and 14 points, respectively. His defensive presence in the lane allowed for a steady stream of blocks, which forced the Ponies to shoot outside. Monticello connected on four 3s in the game, including three from sophomore Lukas Kolasch.
"I thought we executed good on defense, but we needed a few other things to go well on the other end," Monticello head coach Mark Olson said. "For a while we were causing a bit of trouble, but then we ran out of gas a little bit. We were putting a lot out there. I can't be upset with their hustle out there."
In the opening quarter Monticello, which won the Six Rivers East a year ago, jumped out to a 4-0 lead and led 12-7 midway through the first quarter. A 3-pointer with 30 seconds left in the opening frame by Brodhead's Jake Cole gave the Cardinals their first lead, 16-14.
The two teams continued battling, exchanging leads throughout the second period until a 6-0 run by Brodhead opened the game right before halftime. A late give-and-go from Tyler Ritschard to Jacob Marty brought the Ponies back to within a possession just before halftime. At the break, the Cardinals led 28-25.
In the third quarter, Brodhead opened up streaking. The Cardinals went on a 9-0 run over the course of three minutes to build a nine-point cushion. A 6-0 run by Monticello over the final 3 minutes closed the gap.
"We're a team that can score in spurts. It really just takes one basket to get rolling," Olson said.
Panoske put the game away in the fourth, scoring six points, dishing out an assist, and slamming a huge block - all in the first three minutes.
Perhaps the biggest momentum shifter came from bench player Trent Jordan, who scored on a fast break with 4 minutes, 32 seconds left in the game. Jordan's bucket, which was correct on the scoreboard but was not written down in the official scorebook, gave Brodhead a 51-42 lead.
Another string of Panoske buckets put the Cardinals up by 15 with 1:59 left.
"My hat's off to Monticello. They are a great ball team and will get plenty of wins down the road," Kammerer said.
Three Ponies reached double-figures in the game. Kolasch and Marty each scored 15 points and Ritschard had 13. Michael Peterson, who had two late blocks, was the second-leading scorer for Brodhead with six points.
Monticello (4-2) next plays at the Cambridge tournament, Dec. 29. Brodhead (4-2) plays at Albany the same day.
"(My ankle) felt a lot better than I expected it. Our trainer said I shouldn't have played tonight because with the (holiday) break I would be ready for the rest of the season," said Panoske, a 6-feet, 9-inch center who is getting looks from nearly a dozen Division I college programs. "We had a slow start. (Monticello) is probably the quickest team we will face all year. I had to sit for five days, then to run with them - I was dead right away."
Monticello boasts a guard-heavy roster that can run the floor, drive the lane and shoot the 3-pointer.
"We're primarily a team that is going to play man (defense) and we do not match up well with them. They're giving up height and we're giving up speed," Cardinals head coach Brian Kammerer said. "Monticello is a great ball team and we knew we were going to have our work cut out for us. Our advantage was having 6-9 (Panoske) in there."
The bulk of Panoske's scoring came in the first and final quarters, when he notched eight and 14 points, respectively. His defensive presence in the lane allowed for a steady stream of blocks, which forced the Ponies to shoot outside. Monticello connected on four 3s in the game, including three from sophomore Lukas Kolasch.
"I thought we executed good on defense, but we needed a few other things to go well on the other end," Monticello head coach Mark Olson said. "For a while we were causing a bit of trouble, but then we ran out of gas a little bit. We were putting a lot out there. I can't be upset with their hustle out there."
In the opening quarter Monticello, which won the Six Rivers East a year ago, jumped out to a 4-0 lead and led 12-7 midway through the first quarter. A 3-pointer with 30 seconds left in the opening frame by Brodhead's Jake Cole gave the Cardinals their first lead, 16-14.
The two teams continued battling, exchanging leads throughout the second period until a 6-0 run by Brodhead opened the game right before halftime. A late give-and-go from Tyler Ritschard to Jacob Marty brought the Ponies back to within a possession just before halftime. At the break, the Cardinals led 28-25.
In the third quarter, Brodhead opened up streaking. The Cardinals went on a 9-0 run over the course of three minutes to build a nine-point cushion. A 6-0 run by Monticello over the final 3 minutes closed the gap.
"We're a team that can score in spurts. It really just takes one basket to get rolling," Olson said.
Panoske put the game away in the fourth, scoring six points, dishing out an assist, and slamming a huge block - all in the first three minutes.
Perhaps the biggest momentum shifter came from bench player Trent Jordan, who scored on a fast break with 4 minutes, 32 seconds left in the game. Jordan's bucket, which was correct on the scoreboard but was not written down in the official scorebook, gave Brodhead a 51-42 lead.
Another string of Panoske buckets put the Cardinals up by 15 with 1:59 left.
"My hat's off to Monticello. They are a great ball team and will get plenty of wins down the road," Kammerer said.
Three Ponies reached double-figures in the game. Kolasch and Marty each scored 15 points and Ritschard had 13. Michael Peterson, who had two late blocks, was the second-leading scorer for Brodhead with six points.
Monticello (4-2) next plays at the Cambridge tournament, Dec. 29. Brodhead (4-2) plays at Albany the same day.
